Welcome to the first in a series of articles to inspire you to bring the art of photography into your home. Today, I am sharing images my own home shot through my go-to daily camera (iPhone 5!) As photographers, we work so hard to get gorgeous images, galleries and books into clients’ hands, but how often do we take care of archiving our own families? This has always been a priority for me, as I take thousands of images a year of my own family (on my phone cam) but I also make time to have a professional shoot once a year as well, so I am actually in some images. I want to share some of my display ideas with you today, and hopefully inspire you to get images off your computer and into your life!

~Lena

The images by Anna Kuperberg above are in my dining room and were the inspiration for a popular and simple to sell Design Aglow wall gallery. Silver wall frames were purchased at Framatic.com. Table is from Crate & Barrel, chairs are from Pottery Barn, mirror is from Ikea, rug is from Flor, and chandelier is vintage (came with the house).

My living room does not have room for wall galleries….but this is where I display my most prized possessions ever, my photo books. I make 3-4 books a year, usually 1 from a photo shoot, 2 from family vacations, and 1 of just random images. My summer vacation book is often 40 pages and holds over 500 images of our best memories. I print these via Asukabook or ProDPI. Friends and family enjoy looking through these and I think my kids treasure them even more than I do! Some of the books shown feature images from Alaska, Nantucket, Europe and our favorite place, San Francisco.

Furniture is from Wisteria, West Elm, Clayton Gray, and Anthropologie.

In our back hallway, I have a fun vertical wrapped canvas that inspired another Design Aglow template, the Album On A Wall: The Total Package. These are images from another family portrait shoot with Anna Kuperberg.

The media room has a few canvases from Tinywater around the big tv that I never have time to watch. Behind the sectional sofa are ledges I had a contractor build so I could rotate out more family images. This is a great idea for a changing things up in small space or even in a studio and is relatively quick and cheap to construct.

More book spreads, so you get the idea of the freeform layouts. These were all made using the Ultimate Album Builder…quick and easy! I often make 5×5 mini clones to give as holiday gifts to grandparents.

The front hall sports a canvas gallery from a Beloved shoot by Jesh De Rox. We look at these lovely images every day and I can personally tell you that relationship images like this are very good for a marriage (or relationship). We are going on 23 years of marriage next month….see?

Framed images of my kids were from a treasured beach vacation by my late friend, Jen Thompson.

Art in the kitchen? Yes, please! Mixed in with cookbooks and little keepsakes, I have two ProDPI wrapped canvases by Tinywater.

Kids rooms sport canvases and small framed prints by Anna Kuperberg. On the wall, we have a cut-up wall cling from ProDPI. (Wall clings are so great and they don’t damage the walls. This one was actually first applied as a collage and then cut-up for something more free form.) Kids furniture by Room and Board and West Elm.

More framed prints on a shelf in the home office and an family canvas on the wall by Jinky (Barb Uil). Furniture by West Elm and Design Within Reach.

This big linen pin board  behind my desk (from Pottery Barn) is full of snap shots, cards, and notes and fun stuff. I love changing it up!

Upstairs, a prized silk linen (from Album Crafters) is tucked in a drawer. Small wrapped canvases are displayed in an old Pottery Barn secretary desk’s hutch.

A proof book that makes me smile, from Jinky. I took 5×7 proofs and applied them to the pages of Finao’s peel and stick album.

Well, there you have it: my life with art! I’ll probably be swapping out some things this year, or I may have to get a bigger house….

One thing I know for sure is that I love looking at, and living with, art of my family. It truly makes our  house a home. Try it, even in one room. I think you will agree!!

For the last 15 years, Lena Hyde, of Lena Hyde Photography, has been transforming the way her clients’ views photography through her stunning philosophy of life as art, and by creating memories of childhood that will be treasured for a lifetime. With advanced degrees in photography and art history, Lena is highly capable in both the technical and aesthetic possibilities of her craft. Frequently published and internationally exhibited, Lena speaks as a respected expert in the field of contemporary childhood photography. Lena is the founder of Design Aglow, the premier online source for design resources and success tools for professional photographers and of Project Life 365, a new online creative community.